Improvement in fences



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ESTATE OF ISAAC R.

SHANK, DEOEASED.

IMPROVEMENT IN FENCES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,063, dated March 31, 1863.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that IsAAc R. SHANK, late of Buffalo, in the county of Putnam and State of Virginia, has invented a new and Improved Fence; and I, ELIZABETH SHANK, administratrix of said ISAAC R. SHANK, deceased, do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication, in which- Figure l represents a face view of said invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same, the plan of section being indicated by the line w a0, Fig. 1, and looking'in the direction opposite to that line. Fig. 3 is a plan or top view of the same.

Similar` letters ot' reference in the three views indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in the arrangement of two or more braces provided with round holes and sliding on the square rails that are inserted into round holes in the fence-posts in different planes or directions, and fastened to the same by suitable keys in such a manner that by the action of said braces on the rails each part is rendered self-supporting, and a strong, cheap, and durable fence is produced.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use this invention, I will proceed to describe its construction with reference to the drawings.

A A represent the posts, made of timber, two by six inches, (more or less,) and rmly inserted into the ground. Each post is provided with two rows of round holes, a a', situated sideby side, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. These holes receive the ends of the rails B B B2 B5 B4 B5, which are square and placed edgewise or in an angular position, so that they present the smallest possible face to the wind, and at the same time a space is left between the square end ot' each rail and the corresponding socket in the post, thereby preventing the water from accumulating on and causing the speedy decay of said ends. The four lowest rails, B, in each panel are inserted into the sockets a a', so that they are situated in the same plane or parallel to each other, but the following panels, B B2 B3 B4 B5, are inserted into the sockets of the post in such a manner that they run in different directions, the rails B2 B4 being situated in the same plane with the rails B,

whereas the rails B B3 B5 are parallel to each other, and situated in a dii'erent plane from the other rails, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 ot' the drawings. This object is obtained by passing the rails from the sockets on one side of one post to the' sockets on the opposite side ofthe next post. Each panel is strengthened by two braces, G G, each of which is provided with a number of holes corresponding in number to the number ot' rails, and situated in straight line drawn through its longitudinal center. These holes are roundthe same as the sockets a a. in the posts, and

v they are just large enough to admit the rails.

If either of these braces is moved on the rails to that line in which the plane of the rails B B2 B4 intersects the plane of the rails B B3 B5, the holes in the brace are quite loose on the rails, but if said brace is pushed from said section-line toward one of the posts the holes begin to bind on the rails, and the brace serves to steady the panel. This object is still more perfectly accomplished by two braces, which are moved from said section-line in opposite directions, as clearly shown in Figs. l and 3 of the drawings. The braces O C' extend down within a small distance of the ground, and by pushing one brace toward one post and the other toward the other all the rails are firmly supported and the panel is strengthened.

To prevent the rails from being dislocated in a longitudinal direction they are provided with keys b b', which pass through the ends of the rails, the keys b outside and the keys b on the inside ofthe posts A.

This fence is very tight; it can be made with a comparatively small quantity of timber, and all its parts are so constructed that when the fence is taken down it can easily be packed up in a small compass, and forwarded to any place at a triing cost.

Having thus fully described this invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The arrangement of the braces C C', proy vided with round holes, and iitting on the square rails B B B2 B3 B4 B5, which are fastened in the posts A A by means of keys b b in different planes, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

ELIZABETH T. SHANK, Witnesses Admim'stmtrx.

JOHN D. HIGQINBOTHAM, TH. RENNER. 

